Former Defence Minister, Dominic Aduna Bingab Nitiwul, has shared the regrets of the previous administration’s failure to restore lasting peace in Bawku before exiting office.
He says although the Akufo-Addo government did its best by engaging various stakeholders and factions in the milieu, it is unfortunate that they could not achieve the results they expected.
In an interview on Accra-based JoyNews Tuesday, January 14, 2025, Nitiwul stated that to assume the Akufo-Addo administration did nothing about the situation is erroneous.
“To say that we did not do anything is wrong. We did whatever we needed to do to keep peace in Bawku, but we wanted to achieve total peace, and that eluded us. So that would be the regret that I will say we have,” he indicated.
In his appreciation of the efforts put up by the previous government, he noted that they deployed security forces and fostered dialogue amongst stakeholders, as well as collaborating with community and traditional leaders.
He said although these efforts yielded some results, it is regrettable that they were temporal instead of permanent.
Nitiwul disclosed further that the reiteration of the matter by the former President at his final State of the Nation Address (SoNA) in Parliament Friday, January 03, 2025, is a demonstration of how critical the Bawku situation was, to him.
“And for the [former] president to find space and mention that in his last State of the Nation Address, that he regrets that we couldn’t find total peace in Bawku, that alone tells how he views the issue of Bawku and what he wants to leave, or the message he wants to leave for the incoming president to look at Bawku critically. The government should engender trust in the people. That’s the first thing the government needs to do.”
The conflict in Bawku, primarily involving the Kusasi and Mamprusi ethnic groups, is deeply rooted in historical and chieftaincy disputes. Over the years, it has led to numerous casualties, including 41 deaths in the latest clashes which was renewed some few weeks ago.
The former Minister’s comments follow a visit by President Mahama to Bawku and Nalerigu to assure them of his resolve to end the longstanding conflict that has claimed several lives and properties over the years.
